


Blinding Light

by Nandireya



Category: Voltron Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-01-20 12:16:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12432654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nandireya/pseuds/Nandireya
Summary: After defecting to the Voltron Coalition, Prince Lotor suggests the team investigate the portal on what's left of Daibazaal.





	1. Chapter 1

Lotor sat silently on the main hanger’s deck, unmoving in his make-shift cell. It was little more than a projected force field based on the same technology that kept interlopers out of the Lions. Coran, Pidge, Hunk and Matt had began work on something more long term. Even as a prisoner he looked smug. Sitting there, his eyes closed, a slight smile on his ridiculously pretty face. Lance was itching to push his pointy teeth down his overconfident throat.

He, Shiro and Allura stood in a semi-circle around him, tensed in case he should try something. But he hadn’t made a single attempt to test the shimmering light that kept him contained. He’d answered all questions posed to him. He’d even offered up information they hadn’t asked for. About his ship and its capabilities. And about the dimensional gateway on the ruins of Daibazaal.

He hadn't protested when they had treated him as such, he simply accepted it. It was obvious they didn’t trust him, he had to know that. He’d simply walked into their hastily constructed containment and sat down as comfortably as its size and the cold hanger floor would allow. He’d actually been a model prisoner.

The only time he came close to causing any kind of dissension in their ranks was when his eyes had slid towards Keith. His purloined Galra fighter had been damaged in the battle so he had taken a little longer to reach the Castle than the Lions.

“You’re welcome.” He said, his smile deepening. Keith’s eyes widened, he bristled slightly, but he said nothing.

“Welcome for what?” Lance questioned suspiciously.

Voltron had been too far away to see what Keith had truly planned to do. Matt was the only one who really knew. He was the only one currently on board besides the disowned prince who had had a clear view. Keith was grateful the older Holt was not on deck to…complicate matters. It wasn’t something he wanted to discuss with them. What he had almost done. He didn't want them to know. It would likely lead to an emotionally charged argument, something they should not be doing in front of their prisoner. Of course, he was probably hoping that was exactly what they’d do.

Lotor had spared him of his sacrifice and saved his life. Saved all the paladins’ lives actually, and a lot of the coalition. There were all in his debt. They knew it. It was why he was here and not a scattering of atoms decorating the emptiness of space.

“A discussion for another time perhaps.” Lotor said, turning his attention back to the trio surrounding him. “There are more pressing concerns, after all.”

“Such as?” Shiro arced a brow as he folded his arms across his chest.

“The portal at Daibazaal.” He returned flatly. “I can’t say for sure where Acxa, Ezor and Zethrid have gone, but if they returned to the Empire it’s a fair bet that they’ve divulged all my plans in order to save their own lives. And I can only imagine what my father will do if they get his hands on that portal.”

Shiro considered the prince’s words for a moment. He did have a point. Zarkon could wreak untold havoc with that kind of quintessence on his hands. It needed to be destroyed.

“You two go and check it out.” He said to Lance and Allura. “I’ll keep an eye on our new friend here.”

“Still don’t trust me, hmmm?” Lotor smirked. “Not that I blame you.” He admitted. “But do you think two Lions will be enough if my father’s forces are already there?”

“I’ll go with them.” Keith said.

“Alright.” Shiro nodded. “Black will probably-”

“Not in Black.” Keith shook his head.

“You may take my ship.” Lotor offered. “It’s made of the same material as the Lions. It will protect you from any radiant quintessence.”

“Yeah.” Lance scoffed. “Like that’s gonna happen. You’ve probably got it booby-trapped or something.”

“You really think I’d harm one of my own?” Lotor’s face darkened slightly. There was a brief flicker of…something else…across his features. Some uncomfortable thought brought unbidden to his mind by his own words.

“How exactly is Keith one of your own?” Allura countered.

“He _IS_ part Galra is he not?” Lotor responded. “Even if Acxa hadn’t brought it to my attention the ensemble is something of a giveaway.” He gestured to Keith’s Mamora uniform. “The boy and I share a kinship.”

“Even if I did trust you I wouldn’t take your ship.” Keith said, his eyes narrowing at the kinship comment. “The entire Galra Empire is looking for it.”

“Fair point.” Lotor sniffed.

“I’ll take the fighter.” Keith continued. “It may have taken some damage but it’s still perfectly serviceable. I’ll fly in first. If the Galra are there they’ll just see me as one of their own.”

“Alright.” Shiro agreed. “But at least change into your paladin armour. It should offer you better protection against any quintessence that might have escaped the portal.”

Keith almost put a hand to his side, where the Mamoran suit had ruptured and almost killed him.

“Okay.” He agreed.

 

~~~~~~

 

Keith wasn’t sure how long he’d been staring at his old armour. The pristine white and bright red were a stark contrast to the dark blues and greys he’d been wearing lately. With a deep sigh he palmed the lock that kept it contained within its clear-faced locker and began switching one uniform for the other.

Truth be told, he’d never intended to wear it again. What was the point? He didn't have a Lion. He didn’t even have a bayard he remembered, reaching for his knife. The others might still consider him a paladin, a paladin in name only, but he didn’t. He was a Blade now, a faceless one in a sea of many. An unknown foot soldier playing dress up.

“Well, now you look like the Real Keith!” Lance beamed as he joined him and the princess where they were waiting for him by his fighter. Allura shot him a smile that warmed his heart for a brief moment before he remembered who he truly was now, regardless of what Lance might think.

“How’s it feel to be back in the red and white?” Lance continued.

“Constricting.” Keith admitted as he circled a shoulder. “The Mamoran suit offers a lot more freedom of movement.”

“You’re gonna be piloting a spaceship, not kung-fu fighting.” Lance rolled his eyes. “Besides, you always moved fine in this before.” He lightly punched Keith’s breastplate.

“I guess…” he admitted, climbing up into the fighter’s cockpit. “Get to your Lions.” He said softly as he put on his helmet. “I’ll meet you at Daibazaal.”

 

~~~~~~

 

“I’m not getting any radio chatter.” Keith announced to the others as he reached coordinates, shifting through the frequencies on his communications console. “Looks like we’re alone.”

“We’ll be right there.” Allura acknowledged.

Keith moved his craft gently around the floating debris of the ruined planet, keeping an eye out for weblum or anything else that could prove a threat, but it was quiet as the grave. Fitting for a dead planet.

“So this was the Galra homeworld?” He murmured. _‘My other homeworld.’_

He tried to imagine what it must have been like when it was alive, but he had no basis for comparison. He’d never even seen any images if it. It had been like this for a long time. With the exception of Zarkon and Haggar, possibly Coran, Allura and Lotor…just how old was that guy…no one alive had truly walked on its surface. Golden veins of, he guessed it was magma, though it could have been something else, snaked across its surface. And in its centre a perfect circle, aglow with an unnatural blue light.

“I’ve got eyes on the portal.” He said. “I’m going in for a closer look.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Allura asked.

“Yeah.” Lance chimed in. “Your ship’s not made of the same stuff as our Lions?”

_‘Yeah, Lance. Thanks for reminding me.’_ He thought bitterly. He may have willingly given up his position as a paladin of Voltron but that didn’t mean he was happy about the decision.

“I won’t get too close.” He assured them as he flew in. “It doesn’t seem to have been disturbed.” He relayed back. “Doesn’t look like the Galra have been here yet…ahhh…” he winced as a sudden buzzing filled his ears.

“What is it?” Allura demanded, a hint of alarm in her voice. He saw Blue descending towards him.

“It’s nothing.” He said, shaking his head as if to clear the noise. “Just some interference or something…” he began twisting the communications control again. “It’s kind of annoying.”

“I don’t hear anything.” He could almost hear the frown in her response. “Perhaps there’s something wrong with your sensors?” She suggested.

“Or maybe all your time with the Blades has got your Galra senses kicking in?” Lance added.

“Altean hearing is just as sensitive as Galran.” Allura informed him. “In fact, I’ll have you know-“

Keith grit his teeth and closed his eyes as the buzzing increased in volume and intensity. He could barely hear what Allura was having Lance know. It was so high, so painful, how could they not be hearing it? Even with his eyes closed he could see the glow around the portal growing brighter. He looked towards it, his eyes widening as it began to coalesce in its very centre, drawing power, preparing to…

“Allura! Look out!” He yelled even as he slammed his steering grips forward to ram his tiny ship into Blue’s side, knocking the Lion out of the beam’s path.

He wasn’t so lucky.

 

~~~~~~

 

“What the hell was that!?” Lance demanded, blinking rapidly before rubbing at his eyes. “I’m gonna be seeing spots for a week!” He glanced about at the slowly returning darkness of space. “You two okay?”

“I’m fine.” Allura responded. She had been about to berate Keith for slamming into her, but given the circumstances, the harsh words had died on her lips.

“Keith?” Lance questioned when he didn’t answer.

“Keith?” Allura echoed as the time-segments ticked by and there was still no response.

“His communications must be knocked out.” Lance said, trying to sound optimistic despite the tightening knot of dread in his stomach. “Do you have a visual?” He asked, moving his Lion to search the area.

“No!” Allura replied, panic rising in her voice. “I can’t see him anywhere!”

Lance saw Blue’s sonar canon materialise on her back, felt more than saw it fire. Allura swung the Lion around and fired again. She swept the entire area. Back and forth, multiple times.

“Nothing…” she whispered. “There’s…nothing…”

“Come on, Red.” Lance spoke directly to the Lion. “You’ve done it before. If anyone can find him…”

He got nothing from the Lion but pain and grief.

“Oh, God.” He whispered, tears springing to his eyes. “No…”

“Keith…?” Allura’s voice was tiny, desperate, heartbreaking.

“ _ **KEITH**_!” She screamed into the uncaring void.

 

~~~~~~

 

“You no good son of a rancid Yalmor!” Allura snarled as she stormed across the deck, flicked off the force field, grabbed Lotor by the neck and slammed him painfully against the nearest convenient vertical surface in one powerful, fluid motion.

Shiro was just as startled as the now dangling prince as to what had caused this turn of events. But even without the redness of her eyes, the tear stains on her cheeks, the rawness of her voice and the trembling of her body he knew it couldn’t be good. His feelings were only reinforced when Lance entered, bayard drawn. He quickly joined Allura, pressing the barrel of his high-powered rifle under the half-Galra’s chin, looking quite ready to redecorate the room with the contents of Lotor’s skull.

“I may be mistaken…” he managed to choke out. “…but I feel something has gone amiss.”

“You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you?” Lance growled, grinding the muzzle of his weapon harder into the prince’s jaw.

“What are you talking about?” He grated.

“Guys?” Shiro began, attempting to defuse the situation. “Maybe if you explain…?”

Allura’s eyes flashed angrily towards him. “Are you seriously taking this monster’s side on this?” She snapped, cutting him off. “You of all people? Keith is gone because of this…this…waste of space…and you want to defend him!?”

“What?”

The colour drained from Shiro’s face and it took all his resolve to keep him from slumping to the deck.

“Gone?” Lotor frowned, a mixture of emotions on his face, none of them remotely smug or jubilant. “How?”

“Because you set us up!” Lance shouted. “You sent us out there just to take us out! One Lion down, no Voltron!”

“What possible advantage would I achieve by eliminating the only paladin without a Lion?” Lotor countered.

“Because he wasn’t your target.” Lance shot back. “It was me or Allura. Keith just…got in the way…” his voice cracked painful as he only just managed to get the last few words out.

_‘Allura! Look out!’_

Keith's final words echoed in Allura’s head as her fingers went lax on Lotor's throat. The Galran prince hit the floor heavily with a painful expulsion of breath. Someone, Lance, Shiro, she wasn’t sure who, had the presence of mind to reactivate the force-field. Or maybe there was some kind of automatic function that took effect as soon as it sensed the prince was no longer restrained, she didn’t know.

All she did know was that Keith hadn't gotten in the way. He’d PUT himself in the way. He’d taken the shot meant for her.

He was dead.

And it was because of her.

 

~~~~~~

 

Pidge buried her face in Matt’s cloaked shoulder. What was it with this heartless universe? It gifted her with the return of one brother only to take another from her. Did it demand some kind of perverse balance? Some kind of twisted equivalent exchange? You couldn’t have one thing without giving up something of equal value?

True, Keith hadn’t been blood, but she had grown to see him as a big brother, as family just as she had Hunk, Lance and Shiro. Allura was the sister she’d never had and Coran…Coran was…some kind of crazy uncle maybe? They were family, and loosing any of them would leave a hole in her being that could never be filled.

Nobody had taken it well. Hunk had lapsed into a stunned silence, staring at something on the floor that only he could see. Matt hadn’t really known Keith, he hadn’t been on the Castle ship when she brought him back, he’d been off somewhere doing something with the Blade of Mamora, but fighting a war tended to make deep bonds form quickly.

Shiro, Lance and Allura had taken it the worst. Lance and Allura had been there when it happened, one questioning whether he could have done something to prevent it, the other blaming herself. Shiro was putting up an impressive facade, but no one had been closer to Keith than he had. She knew he had to feel empty inside.

Even Lotor had dropped his air of superiority.

“I _AM_ sorry for your loss.” He had said as he was sealed within his more permanent accommodation. “It was never my intent for any of yours to come to lasting harm. Especially that one.”

He had come to them under a flag of truce, but still, they weren't sure if he was being genuine or not, and no one had the emotional strength to question him.

And Kolivan. She had no idea what he was feeling. The Blades’ stoic leader never seemed to emote. His expression as Shiro broke the news to him didn't appear to change, but she would have sworn she saw him look slightly away, a slight change to the wrinkling of his brow, the focus of his eyes, it could have been grief, or as close as he came to it. It was strange. Keith’s emotions had always been so raw, so obvious. She’d always blamed it on his Galra genes, but Kolivan, even Lotor, they weren’t like that. Maybe Keith’s emotions had been completely human.

She ceased in her pondering when she heard Kolivan sigh deeply.

“I can’t say I’m surprised.” He intoned. “He always did put the lives of others before his own. And their needs.”

“Yeah.” Matt said softly in agreement. Pidge frowned and looked up at her brother, taking in his saddened expression. He had barely known Keith, she wasn’t even sure they’d met face to face. Maybe they’d met at the Garrison, before the Kerberos mission? He’d never mentioned him, she supposed there hadn’t been any real reason to talk about the mission pilot’s friend. They could never have known just how intwined in their lives he would become. But the look on his face now. What did he know that she didn’t?

“Being a paladin was what gave his life meaning.” Kolivan continued. “Being part of your team meant everything to him.”

“Then why did he leave us?” Pidge demanded, pulling away from the comfort of her brother's arms. “If we meant so much to him why did he just walk away to go play space ninja!?”

Kolivan looked away, and for the first time since she’d known him he actually looked unsure, uncomfortable.

“He didn’t want to, did he?”

All eyes turned to Hunk as the big man broke his numbed silence, speaking for the first time since learning of their loss.

“No.” Kolivan confirmed with a shake of his head. “He came to us because he knew he was the only one who had a place to go. He sacrificed his position, his Lion, his happiness, so none of you would have to.”

There was silence as the Galra’s words sunk in. They’d all been so angry at him when he’d decided to train with the Blades of Mamora. They’d thought him selfish to put his own need to learn about his heritage ahead of the team. But if what Kolivan had just said was true, he hadn’t.

“At least…” Hunk said softly. “I guess he’s in a better place now…”

 

~~~~~~

 

Keith let out a low groan and raised a hand to massage his aching head but found he was unable to do so. _‘Oh, right, helmet.’_

He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it, closing them quickly to shut out the glaring brightness that seemed to completely envelope him. His last few conscious thoughts came back to him slowly. Daibazaal…Lotor's portal…the headache inducing buzzing…the blast…

“Allura?” He frowned. “Lance? You copy?”

There was no response, just the now familiar buzz humming at the base of his skull.

He opened his eyes, slowly, carefully, allowing them time to adjust.

“What the hell?” He questioned the bright, white, nothingness outside his cockpit. There was no stars, no planets, no Lions, just pure white…nothing. Not wanting to deal with that he turned his attention to his fighter. There wasn’t a single point of light on his dash. Of course he might simply be unable to see any due to the blinding brightness outside.

He brought up the display on his visor, at least that still seemed to be working, adjusting it to compensate for the overabundance of light, sighing with relief when he could actually see again. Of course, his returned vision did confirm what he’d already suspected. The ship was completely dead.

He brought up his armour’s wrist display. A scan of the immediate area confirmed what his eyes told him. There was nothing out there. He dialled up the range of his communications as high as they could go.

“Allura?” He repeated. “Lance?” He glanced about, hoping to see something out there. “Anybody?” He’d even take a Galran warship. But there was nothing.

He was alone. Totally and completely. With no point of reference to find his way home and no means to get there even if he could. Maybe he hadn’t been far off with his initial assessment of the place. Maybe it really was Hell. His own personal Hell.

Without even realising it he brought his legs up, hugging his knees to his chest, as if embracing himself was the only comfort he could find, which wasn’t far from the truth.

He had no idea how long he sat there, curled in on himself like a tiny lost kitten. How could you judge the passage of time in a featureless void? But it was the voice that brought him back. Well, the imagined voice. It couldn’t be real. There was nothing here, certainly no one to talk to him. Wasn’t hearing voices a sign of growing insanity? Yeah. That had to be what it was.

“Paladin.” It whispered.

Oh. Okay. So the voice wasn’t talking to him. He wasn’t a paladin. Not anymore. Despite what he was wearing. He’d given that up.

“Paladin.” It repeated, stronger now.

Seriously? He couldn't even go crazy right? He didn’t want to listen to it, he just wanted to sleep. He was so tired. So very, very tired…

“Paladin!” There was urgency in it now.

He opened his eyes to seek out its source and nearly jumped out of his skin. A figure stood before him. Well, half a figure, it appeared to be phasing through the dash of his fighter. A half-figure of a bearded man, haloed by a soft blue light.

“You’re not safe here.” The figure went on now that he had Keith’s attention. “They could sense you at any moment.”

“Can’t I just go back to sleep?” He slurred. He felt so weary, his limbs so heavy.

“Look at me, boy.” The figure commanded as he moved closer. Not even sure why, Keith rolled his head towards the bossy apparition, trying to focus his uncooperative eyes on him. He looked familiar. He knew this guy. How did he know this guy?

“This doesn’t look good.” The man’s frown deepened, his eyes flooded with concern. It was the eyes he recognised. They were like her eyes. He knew who he was now. Maybe…

“Alfor?”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“It is customary to address me as _KING_ Alfor.” The apparition said haughtily. “But under the circumstances, and given your attire, I think I can let that slide.” He smiled. “ _And_ your condition.” He added, his smile fading as the boy took in what sounded like a painful breath.

“What’s wrong with me?” He asked, his voice lethargic with just a hint of fear.

“This place is not good for the living.”

“I’m not dead?”

“No.” The king informed him with a reassuring smile.

“But you are.” Keith frowned.

“I imagine the real me is.” The glowing image admitted. “After all these deca-phoebs.”

“Then how…?” He shook his head, trying to clear the fuzz and focus his mind. Assuming his translucent companion was real and not some figment of his imagination or indication of his descent into madness, he could only be one thing. He sat up sharply, shaking off us much of the grogginess as he could.

“You’re an AI!” He declared. “Like back on the Castle.”

“Yes.” He confirmed. “Well…mostly. The Castle’s AI is a hard light projection with far greater range and memory storage than I have. The Castle’s power supply is far superior…”

Keith really wasn’t listening. If he was talking to an artificial intelligent hologram it had to be coming from somewhere. It needed a power source, some kind of computer to house and run its program. That meant a ship. An at least partially functioning ship. That meant he could get out of here!

“…I’m a soft-light projection so I can’t physically interact with the environment…”

“Where are you projecting from!” Keith demanded, instinctively reaching out to grip him by the shoulders. His hands, of course, passed right through him.

The AI’s brow arced in a perfect imitation of regal annoyance. It would seem even a royal simulation didn’t care to be interrupted or ordered about by a lowly commoner, even if he was wearing what used to be his paladin colour. He stretched out a glowing bluish arm, extended a glowing bluish finger and pointed outside the cockpit.

Keith followed the direction indicated by the glowing digit. His eyes widened and the breath caught in his throat.

“Oh…my…God…” he breathed.

 

~~~~~~

 

Cooking usually soothed Hunk. The very act of it, the gathering of ingredients, the precision measuring of each addition, the way so many diverse tastes and textures came together to make something wonderfully delicious that he could share with those around him and make them smile.

But it wasn’t working. He’d made so many different recipes, sweet and savoury, exotic and simple, old favourites and new experimental concoctions. None of it brought him peace. He knew why, though he didn’t want to admit it. It was because there was only one person he truly wanted to share the newly created banquet with and he knew he couldn’t. He could never share anything with him ever again. He didn't know what else to do so he just kept cooking.

“Whatcha doin’?”

He glanced up to see Lance, leaning against the doorframe, dark circles under his reddened eyes, looking utterly exhausted. Hunk knew he didn’t look any better.

“Cooking.” He responded flatly, never ceasing whisking the cream in the bowl tucked under his arm.

“I can see that.” Lance commented as he moved into the galley, surveying the piles of completed dishes that covered every available surface that wasn’t currently being used to make even more food. “Why so much?”

“Birthday.”

“Birthday?” Lance frowned. “Who’s birthday?”

“ _HIS_ birthday.”

Lance pulled out his small orange tablet, one of the few pieces of technology any of them had brought with them from home. Thanks to some Pidge tinkering the thing still worked, after a fashion. Thumbing through the applications on it he brought up the current Earth date. Back home it was the wee hours of the twenty third day of October.

“Oh, shit.” He whispered.

“Gotta do it.” Hunk said, whipping intensifying. “Can’t forget. Never forget.”

“Hunk?” Lance questioned, a concerned frown pinching his forehead.

Hunk’s arm was a blur, his face a mask of pain and rage.

“Buddy?”

Whisk, whisk, whisk.

“How did we let this happen!?” He yelled, hurling the bowl across the room with such force the metal container was bent back in on itself, trapping the soft fluffy cream in a silvery taco shell. “It shouldn't have happened…” he whispered, leaning heavily on the bench. “I should have noticed…I should have helped…”

“Hunk.” Lance wrapped his arms around his best friend’s trembling shoulders. “You can’t blame yourself for this.” He sighed. “We already have Allura doing that.”

“I don’t blame myself.” Hunk shook his head. “I blame all of us!”

“Hunk?” Lance began, but was quickly cut off.

“You heard Kolivan.” Hunk gestured wildly. “He left for us, so we could all keep our Lions And we were angry at him because we thought he was abandoning us. We pushed him away.”

He shrugged off Lance’s embrace, began pacing.

“I know he kept things to himself, but we could have _TRIED_ to talk to him. If we had, we could have figured something out.” He said. “We could have…I don’t know…rotated the Lions or something…” he circled one hand around the other.

“But no. We were all just ‘oh he’s just being the lone wolf again, being all selfish and only thinking about himself’.” He sighed. “Was it really so selfish for him to want to find out who he was?” He spread his hands. “I mean, if I found out was part alien I’d want to know what that meant for me. Wouldn’t you?”

“I guess.” Lance admitted.

“If we’d accepted that. If we hadn’t given him such a hard time…he’d have been out there in a Lion instead of a flimsy little already damaged Galra fighter.”

“Shiro offered him Black. Loturd offered him his meteor ship.” Lance told him. “He said no to both. He CHOSE that flimsy little fighter.”

Hunk frowned. He hadn’t known about that.

“Maybe he didn’t feel he was worthy of a Lion anymore.”

 

~~~~~~

 

It had taken some effort to get out of the Galra fighter. With no power Keith couldn’t open the hatch. Alfor had used his energy matrix to give it a brief jumpstart and Keith was free.

Now he was drifting in the strangely thick white nothingness staring at the ship the AI was part of it. Though he couldn’t really call it a ship, not given its somewhat familiar feline design.

It was a Lion.

Enclosed in an almost identical force-field, it was noticeably smaller than the Voltron Lions, sleeker and far more dangerous looking. It was like comparing a high-powered racing motorcycle to a semitrailer. Its panels were white, almost invisible against the equally white surrounds. Whether that was the colour of choice for it or it was some kind of undercoating for a colour yet to be decided on, Keith couldn’t pretend to know.

“She’s beautiful.” He whispered, somehow knowing the tiny Lion was female.

“An advanced prototype I was working on.” Alfor explained. “When Zarkon…”

Keith nodded his understanding as the AI trailed off.

“I hid her in here.” He sighed. “Even though it meant losing her when we sealed the rift. I couldn’t let Zarkon get his hands on her.”

“She wouldn’t have liked that.” Keith commented.

“No.” Alfor agreed. “She didn’t.” He sighed. “I programmed in my AI…” he gestured to himself. “…to keep her company. But she refused to speak to me. She shut down as soon as we got in here.” They looked up at the unlit eyes. “There hasn’t been a spark of life in her…”

The eyes flared to bright blue life. The glowing strips in Keith’s armour brightened in response. The barely discernible force field surround her shimmered and fell as seams of blue light ignited around her hull as she powered up for the first time in ten thousand years. He gasped as the buzz in the base of his skull seemed to coil around his brain, morphing into a rumbling purr of greeting.

“…until now.” Alfor finished.

Keith was left reeling as the forging bond slammed into him. The others hadn’t been anything like that!

“The Lion chooses the paladin.” Alfor said. “It is a mystical bond…”

“…that can’t be forced.” Keith finished.

“She is not like the others.” Alford said. “She is part of Voltron, but still apart from Voltron. She is fierce, dangerous, a fighter. She needs a paladin that can match her ferocity. If Voltron is the warrior, then she is the weapon.”

“She’s Voltron’s bayard.” Keith said, reaching out a hand to touch her muzzle as she lowered her head to him.

“Essentially.” Alford nodded.

Keith closed his eyes, listening to her whispering voice in his head. He could see through her eyes, see beyond the rift, see what she was capable of. He’d never managed that with Black, or even with Red. Alfor was right. She was different. Very different.

“Ghost.” He said. “Her name is Ghost.”


	3. Chapter 3

Pidge had studied the Lion’s logs over and over and over for more times than she cared to remember. Frame by frame, pixel by pixel, desperate to prove what everyone else had accepted to be true wasn’t. It made no sense. The device was a portal, a doorway to another universe, it wasn’t a weapon. She wasn’t going to admit defeat. She just needed proof to convince the others, but so far it had eluded her.

She had long since turned the sound off. She couldn’t bare to hear what she refused to believe were Keith's final words. She couldn't concentrate while listening to the anguish in the others voices as they desperately tried to find him after he mysteriously disappeared. Because that’s what he’d done. He’d just vanished. Without a trace.

A trace…

She frowned, focusing her attention back on the logs.

The Lions automatically recorded what was happening around them when they were out in the field, if the vast emptiness of space could be called a field. She had the feed from both Lions queued up, side by side. Unfortunately they didn’t give her a lot to go on. Neither had been facing the portal when whatever happened had happened. It was getting her nowhere. If she was going to get to the bottom of this there was only one thing she could do.

“Hey, girl.” She smiled up at Green a few minutes later having changed into her paladin armour. She hefted a bag of equipment on her shoulder. “Up for a little…”

“Field trip?”

She almost jumped out of her skin, quickly working to steady herself as she juggled the heavy bag that slipped from its place on her back.

“Matt!” She growled at her brother, leaning nonchalantly against the hanger bay’s door. She’d walked right past him. He strolled towards her, taking the weight from her shoulder. “I was just…”

“I know what you’re doing.” He said, shifting the bag to his own back. “The whole thing seems a bit off to me too.” He began walking towards the waiting Lion.

“Matt?” She questioned.

“I’m not letting you go out there alone, Katie.” He told her. “Just because it didn’t look like the Galra had tampered with it doesn’t mean they haven’t been there. Or aren’t on their way.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Alfor smiled as he looked down on the youth slumbering in the pilot seat, Keith, he’d told him. He’d been so animated, the lethargy of his condition momentarily forgotten as he examined every nook and cranny of Ghost’s interior. He’d studied the instrumentation of the cockpit for at least a few vargas, working out what each and every one of them did. He’d been obviously disappointed when the communications array wasn’t powerful enough to reach beyond the rift.

Eventually he’d passed out, whether from exhaustion or the havoc the atmosphere was wreaking on his body, Alfor couldn’t tell. He had his suspicions as to what was wrong with the boy. His living self had been in this place for only a fraction of the time the new Red Paladin had and he had felt it. He moved closer to the viewscreens taking in the lack of view outside, the white nothingness that was far from nothing. It was pure, concentrated quintessence.

If he was right, it had been seeping into his living body from the moment he’d entered the rift. It was saturating every part of his body, inside and out, from the tips of his hair to the very centre of his core. He had seen what it had done to a Galra. He had seen what it had done to an Altean. What would it do to him?

He didn’t know what the boy was exactly. He had run some basic scans on him while he slept, but felt it was too much of an intrusion to go any deeper without his permission. His fine features were reminiscent of his own kind, but he lacked the facial markings inherent to the Altean. His bone density and musculature where extremely dense for a body his size. That wouldn’t save him though. If Alfor was right, this place was killing him.

“We have to get him out of here.” He murmured, not entirely sure who he was talking to.

Ghost let out a low, rumbling growl and the boy’s eyes snapped open, flashing a bright electric blue, a perfect match to the Lion’s.

“Pidge!”

 

~~~~~~

 

The green Lion moved in slowly, cloak engaged. There was still no sign of the Galra. There was no sign of anything at all. Matt was setting up the equipment they’d brought with them to scan the area thoroughly while Pidge did the same thing the old fashioned way.

“I don’t see anything.” She commented.

“Were you expecting to?” Matt asked as he plugged a cable into the back of her laptop.

“Yeah.” She admitted. “Some kind of damage to the surrounding area.” She manoeuvred in closer to the rocky terrain opposite the inert portal. “Some scorched earth.” The flash had been bright enough to temporarily take out the video. Lance had complained about it. If it had been enough to completely vaporise a fighter craft it should have left some evidence behind.

“Starting now.” Matt announced. “Full-spectrum scan.”

“You getting anything?” She asked, looking back to where he was checking the readouts on their in depth scan.

“No.” He shook his head with a slight frown. “Nothing.”

“No debris? No DNA?” Pidge prompted.

“Not a thing.” Matt confirmed. “Not even on a sub-atomic level.”

A smile began to spread across her elfin features.

“Pidge!” Shiro’s voice came in over the coms, loud and angry. His face on her screen mirroring his tone. “What are you doing out there?”

“Busted.” Matt whispered, Pidge’s smile fading as she threw him a withering look.

“Just a little fact-gathering.” She told the black paladin.

There was a pause.

“What did you find?” The voice was softer now, hopeful.

“Nothing.” She reported.

“So a waste of time.” He looked away.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Pidge shook her head, her smile returning. “There’s _nothing_ here, Shiro. If Keith's ship had been destroyed there would be _something_. Some tiny piece of ship. Particles of…other stuff…” no way was she referring to human remains. “But there’s absolutely nothing. Not even on a sub-atomic level.”

She turned Green to look at the portal.

“This thing hasn’t been tampered with.” She said. “The Galra haven’t weaponised it.” She gestured at it. “It’s a portal. A gateway between realities.” She turned her full attention on the image is Shiro.

“It didn’t blow him up.” She said. “It sucked him in!”

“Are you saying he’s _inside_ the rift?”

“He’s gotta be.” The alternate had always been too horrible to contemplate.

“How are we going to get him out?” Shiro frowned.

“I don’t know.” Pidge admitted.

“Let’s hope Lotor does.” Shiro said grimly.

 

~~~~~~

 

Keith had opened up the throttle as soon as he’d become aware of the green Lion’s presence, so close, just outside the rift. It was a chance, maybe his only chance, to get out, to get home.

Ghost moved differently to Red, to Black. He barely needed to think what he was about to do and she responded. It was as if the Lion was an extension of him. He was completely unaware of the burning brightness of his eyes as he saw through hers.

It was impossible to know just how fast they were moving. With no outside point of reference, no change of inertia within the cockpit, they could be standing still of moving at the speed of light. But it didn’t matter. They weren’t getting any closer. Maybe they were standing still.

“ ** _PIDGE_**!” He screamed into his coms as Green turned and began to move away. “I’m right here!” But she was already moving beyond his shared sight.

“I’m right here…” he repeated in a broken whisper, lowering his head as his hands pulled back on the throttle of their own accord.

Alfor took a step forward, hand out to place it comfortingly on his back despite the fact he had no substance, but before he could the boy ripped his helmet off his head and with a savage growl hurled it across the cockpit. It was the first time the AI had seen him without his head covered. He arced a brow at the small, rounded ears that peeked out of his long, shaggy hair. Definitely not Altean. Or any other type of race he was familiar with.

He threw himself back in his seat, the quick movement flicking his hair out of his face. When he opened his eyes the vibrant blue glow was gone, they had returned to what he assumed was their natural colour. The glow, it would seem, was a manifestation of his bond with the Lion.

“God.” He spat. “How the hell am I gonna get out of this damn place?”

“You need to calm down.” Alfor said a little nervously as the boy continued to vent in anger. A flash of movement of something outside caught his visual receptors.

“Give me a break, Al.” Keith turned his ire on his projected companion. “My best chance of getting out of here just flew away. I’m really not in the mood for calm.”

“I understand your frustration.” Alfor soothed. “But your heightened emotional state is attracting-“

“Attracting what?” Keith snorted, gesturing beyond the cockpit. “There’s nothing…out…there…”

His eyes widened and he involuntarily shrank back into his seat at the sight of the swirling black mass of something in the white nothing. He vaguely recalled the lifeforms of this place that Coran had talked about in his tale of the original paladins. The dark creatures that had destroyed Zarkon and Honerva, replacing them with…whatever the hell they were now. He certainly didn’t want to end up like that.

“Okay.” He swallowed. “Calm. I can be calm.”

The dark swarm swam around Ghost’s forcefield, slamming against it, looking for a weakness. As far as Keith could tell he was the only other living thing within the void. Did these things see him as some kind of food source.

“Can they get in here?” He whispered.

“I’ve never known them to breech a Lion’s shield in the past.” Alfor said. “But they’ve never had much of an incentive before, either. You need to calm down.” He repeated. The boy was no longer so angry, but he was still obviously agitated. “We need to temper your temper.”

“Yeah…” he muttered. “Let’s just change the habits of a lifetime.”

“And in doing so, we may be able to find an alternate method of getting you out of here.”

“Really?” He was understandably skeptical.

“A few Altean meditation techniques should help you extend the reach of your bond with Ghost.” He explained. “Though probably only to connect with an Altean Alchemist.”

“I don’t think Haggar’s gonna drop everything to come save me.” Keith snorted. Even if she would, it probably wasn’t a good idea to give her access to an advanced Lion prototype.

“She’s not the only Altean Alchemist out there, lad.” Alfor smiled.

Keith frowned for a moment until he realised who he was talking about.

 

~~~~~~

 

Allura took her time getting ready for bed even though she was extremely tired. She hasn’t slept much lately, none of them had. She changed into her sleep attire before carefully brushing her hair, as she did every evening.

Despite her exhaustion she found it difficult to settle. Pidge had returned from the ruins of Daibazaal with something that had been severely lacking the past few days. She had brought them back hope. Perhaps their lost comrade wasn’t so lost after all.

Though, if he was stranded within the rift there was still the question of exactly how they were going to get him out. They had decided not to go directly to Lotor for an answer. Pidge wanted to study the information she had gathered along with the schematics of the portal that had been stored in the Galran prince’s onboard computer, see if she could come up with some kind of solution herself. And with Hunk and Matt to help her there was little doubt they would be theorising well into the sleep cycle. She hoped they would find an answer. The less they needed from Lotor, the less they owed him, the less he had to hold over them to use as some kind of bargaining chip.

She lay down in her bed, doing her best to get comfortable without disturbing the mice who had already made their various nest for the evening. She closed her eyes and snuggled into the warmth of her sleeping platform, hoping sleep would not elude her for long.

She had just about drifted off when she felt a strange sensation deep within her mind. It was nothing she’d ever felt before, but somehow it didn’t disturb her. It was like some kind of warm, familiar presence in her thoughts.

‘ _Allura?’_

Her eyes snapped open and she took in a startled breath.

She knew that voice. That soft whisper in her mind. But how? How could she be hearing it?

“Keith?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura learns of a means to set Keith free while Lotor reminds the others of the dangers the rift poses on a living body...

Allura sat bolt upright in her bed, sending mice flying as she pulled her bedding up to her throat instinctively to cover herself. An empty gesture, really. She was hardly inappropriately attired, and all the paladins had seen her in her sleeping garb. Besides, the voice had been in her head, hadn’t it? There was nobody in the room.

She gestured towards the side of the bed, the soft illumination confirming that she was indeed alone, apart from the scattering of small, furry bodies that were clambering back up the blankets. Regardless, her eyes roamed the still semi-darkness that surrounded her. Had she imagined the voice? Had it been her subconscious wishful thinking that had spoken to her? No. She could feel his presence. That was what had woken her. That soft, warm sense of him in the back of her mind.

Her mind...

Perhaps he could only hear her the way she had heard him?

‘ _Keith?’_ She thought at the presence.

She probably should have been wondering _HOW_ she was hearing him, how he’d managed to make a connection across the vast expanse of space and possibly across dimensions. But she was far more concerned with the fact that he had made a connection over how he had done it.

_‘Where are you?’_

She waited for an answer, her eyes darting nervously as the tics passed. Maybe she really had imagined it.

_‘...rift...’_

She let out an enormous sigh of relief when he finally answered, not entirely certain whether it was because he was alive or because it proved she wasn’t slipping into insanity.

‘ _Pidge was right.’_ She mused.

_‘...usually...is...’_

She chuckled at the obvious fondness in his voice, she could almost see him smile. But there was something off about the way he spoke. His voice was soft, slightly slurred as if were inebriated or he was struggling to remain conscious. And there was a strange, echoey quality to it. It was flat, devoid of emotion or inflection. There was no life in it, none of his usual fire. It worried her.

‘ _Are you all right?’_ She asked, a concerned frown pinching her brow, deepening when he didn’t respond. Has the connection been broken? Had something happened to him? She was about to say something, hoping to shake him out of whatever had caused him to lapse into silence, when he finally responded.

_‘...no...’_

Her eyes widened. It was not the answer she had wanted to hear, even though it wasn’t unexpected.

 _‘...no food...water...’_ he elaborated. _‘...place is...’_ there was a lengthy pause as he searched for the right word _‘...toxic...’_

Even as he spoke she could feel him slipping away. He might not be dead, but he was dying. If they didn’t get him out soon they truly would lose him. But they didn’t know how. Pidge had been pouring over the data she’d collected for several vargas now and hadn’t come up with an answer. She certainly would have let them know if she had. But maybe he could.

‘ _How can we help you?’_ She asked.

_‘...need to open...portal...’_

She nodded. That was obvious.

‘ _We don’t know how...’_ she lamented, feeling the tears prick her eyes.

There was a long pause before he responded.

 _‘...you think...?’_ He mumbled, sounding like he was talking to someone else. _‘...okay...’_ he let out a long, exhausted sigh as he gathered what she had to assume was his waning strength.

_‘...alchemy...is...key...’_

_‘Alchemy?’_ Her thoughts echoed. He needed her magic to get out? He needed her to set him free? ‘ _But I don’t know how to control it.’_

 _‘...instinct...’_ his voice was fading, _‘...guide...’ HE_ was fading. _‘...you...’_

“I’m on my way!” She promised out loud, tossing aside the covers, sending mice flying again. She didn’t know how she was going to do it, she just knew she would get him out of that terrible place.

 

~~~~~~

 

Alfor frowned in concern as Keith let out a soft, drawn out groan. The boy looked even paler as he sank back into the pilot’s seat, the electric blue glow of his link with Ghost fading as he closed his eyes in exhaustion. His idea of using his bond with the white lion to forge a connection with the blue in order to communicate with Allura had been a good one. How else would he be able to make a physic bond over such a vast distance? But it had taken a toll on him.

He reached out a hand, his innate fathering instinct kicking in, wanting to brush away the hair that fell across his forehead and into his eyes, pulling back at the sight of his translucent blue fingers, realising he had no physical substance. Instead he moved forward, studying the deepening shadows beneath his eyes, the hallowing under his cheekbones. His inbuilt chronometer told him he hadn’t been trapped in here all that long, but the changes in the youth’s body belied that fact.

“Are you sure this will work?” Keith mumbled as he regained some of his strength. His dark eyes peeled open to meet his gaze.

“Still questioning me?” The AI snorted. “I’ve had ten thousand years to study this place,” he gestured to the view screens. “Along with this temperamental lion,” he added as Ghost rumbled around them. “Allura’s mere presence out there was enough for the portal to open and pull you and your craft in here. Her making an active attempt to actually do so will easily be enough for Ghost to break free.”

He turned away for a moment, unsure of how to continue. It seemed the boy had come to rely on him in such a short time, and perhaps come to take comfort in his presence, he had given him a nickname after all. And he had grown quite fond of him as well, as much as an artificial construct could become attached to a living being at least.

“It won’t be without its risks, however.” He sighed. “Ghost has lain here dormant for so long, I can’t be certain how her systems will handle crossing over into our space.”

Keith sat up.

“Going back could fry her.”

“Perhaps.” He nodded. “But staying here will kill you. And the Castle is fully equipped to facilitate any repairs she would require.”

Keith’s eyes fell on the soft glow emanating from the control panel to his left, the projector that gave the artificial intelligence form. He turned in his seat to face the kingly simulacrum.

“What about you?” He asked.

“My files are unique to this operating system.” He lay a ghostly hand on the dash. “If it’s destroyed...”

“No!” Keith surged to his feet, eyes blazing, surprising Alfor with the hidden depth of his strength. “That is not acceptable!”

“Keith.” Alfor soothed. “I died millennia ago. I’m not real. You are.” The boy was shaking his head, refusing to accept what he was hearing. “You are a paladin of Voltron.”

All expression drained from Keith’s face and he sat down heavily in the pilot’s seat. _HIS_ pilot’s seat. He had willingly given that up. Well, willingly probably wasn’t the right word, but he had accepted it. There were six pilots to five lions. Someone had to step down. For the sake of his friends he had taken the decision out of their hands. He would lose his position so they wouldn’t have to.

And it had cost him, cost him far more than he would admit or ever let anyone know. He had felt so lost, he had no purpose. He had lost his identity. He no longer knew who he was.

But now there were six lions. Voltron needed six pilots.

He reached out and put his hands on the control grips, closing his eyes as Ghost’s power hummed through him. He had never put much faith in destiny, but he couldn’t deny this. The colour didn’t matter. This was what he was meant to be.

“The universe needs you.” Alfor smiled. “It does not need me.”

“She needs you.” Keith responded quietly.

“She?”

“Allura.” Keith clarified. “She’s already lost you twice. I can’t let her lose you again.” He moved to stand beside the AI. “There’s gotta be some way to separate you from Ghost’s systems.” He said, scanning the panels. “You’re the brains here, Al. Think of something.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Pidge hated to admit defeat. Always had, always would. But the data just wasn’t adding up.

Lotor’s files claimed the portal required a particular type of quintessence to operate, coincidentally the very type the Blades of Mamora had discovered and were currently tracking. The same kind of tracking missions that Keith himself had been on.

At first she thought he might have somehow absorbed enough of it to inadvertently trigger the portal when he’d gotten close to it, but according to Lotor’s personal logs when he and his generals had attempted to open it with the selfsame quintessence, and a lot more of it than Keith could theoretically store in his body, they had been met with complete and utter failure. It hadn’t worked for the prince, so why had it worked for Keith?

“Screw it.” She muttered, gathering various tablets and printouts.

Her rummagings and continued mumblings awoke Hunk from where he’d fallen asleep over his own set of data.

“Where are you going?” He yawned as she stalked towards the door, the determined look on her face instantly shaking off his weariness. He thumped Matt on the shoulder to awaken the older Holt sibling.

“What?” He questioned as he groggily tracked his sister. “Where?”

“I don’t know.” Hunk admitted. “But I don’t think we should let her go alone.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Lance shuffled along the corridor, returning to his room after nabbing a glass of milk from the galley. He had considered preparing something for the brain trust, all holed up in Green’s hanger working on some way to rescue Keith, but what he’d found in the kitchen indicated that they’d already raided it for snacks. He’d hung out with them for a while but had quickly realised he had nothing to offer, so he’d staggered off to bed. He was more a doer than a thinker.

He paused, taking a sip of the fresh, creamy liquid, when he noticed Allura, in full paladin armour, approaching.

“Whoa.” He exclaimed. “Where are you going?” His slightly confused expression brightened as his brain ticked over. “Did Pidge crack the code? Did she tell you how to get the mullet back?”

“No.” Allura shook her head, not even slowing down. “Keith did.”

“Wait.” Lance fell into step beside her, jogging a little in order to keep up. “What?”

“He talked to me.”

“You contacted him?” Lance frowned.

“No.” She clarified. “He contacted me.”

“Okay...” he arced a skeptical brow. “How?”

“I’m not sure exactly.” She admitted with a frown.

“Are you sure this actually happened?”

Allura finally stopped to turn angrily towards him. “Do you doubt me?”

“You? No.” He shook his head. “You’ve got that Altean magicy stuff that I can’t even begin to understand.” He wriggled his fingers in his approximation of spell casting to emphasise his point. “But Keith? He’s...well...he’s not human, at least not entirely, but he’s certainly not magical. Are you sure you didn’t dream it or something?”

She’d been holed up in her room pretty much since the incident with the portal. Lance had felt kind of guilty when they thought they’d lost him. And he wasn’t the one Keith had put himself in front of an assumed death-blast for, so she had to be feeling so much worse than he had. He wouldn’t blame her at all for coming up with some kind of fantasy about him visiting her in some way to comfort her or whatever, especially now that they had hope of bringing him home.

“I know what l heard, Lance.” She said stiffly. “I know what I felt...” She fisted her hand over her heart. He could see the earnestness in her shimmering blue eyes. She really believed it.

“He’s dying, Lance.” She sniffed. “That place is killing him. I need to get him out of there. And I need to do it now.” She set off again at an even brisker pace towards the blue lion’s tower.

It was obvious that he wasn’t going to talk her out of what was in all probability a wild goose chase, but he could at least offer some form of company in her quest.

“Just give me a few tics to get ready and we’ll...”

“There’s nothing you can do.” She told him as Blue’s hanger door slid open. Blue’s head was lowered, ready to accept her pilot. “Alchemy is the key.”

“Okay...fine...” Lance conceded as the doors closed behind her. “But I’m gonna get Shiro and we’ll be right behind you.” He muttered to the cold metal.

 

~~~~~~

 

Lotor squinted and quickly covered his eyes at the sudden glare of illumination that assaulted his eyes. Shifting gracefully into a sitting position he turned his attention to the barely-there shimmer of the forcefield keeping him contained, blinking a few times as his eyes grew accustomed to the unexpected increase in light.

It was the small female, the one with the muddy-brown hair and overly large eyes, currently shadowed from lack of sleep. She was brandishing a tablet displaying an image of the inter-dimensional portal. The taller one that looked almost identical was with her along with the big, soft one.

“How the hell does this thing work?” She demanded.

That was why he’d been so rudely awoken?

“You have the schematics and all my personal accounts on the wretched device.” He said as he lay back down, arm over his eyes to block the light. “Surely you were able to figure out from all of that information that it _DOESN’T_ work. I thought you were the smart one.” He snorted.

“It _DOES_ work.” She shot back. “It sucked Keith in.”

“Keith?” He frowned, sitting up again. “Oh. The red one. Are you sure?”

“All my research and data would indicate so.”

“Really?” His brow rose skeptically.

“I’m the smart one, remember?”

“And what?” He questioned. “You plan to hasten to his rescue? Open the portal and bring him home?” He allowed himself a brief smirk. “Why waste the effort? From all accounts it is an extremely hostile environment.”

“He willingly gave up everything for us.” The big one bristled, his face darkening. He may appear soft, a gentle giant, but it would seem there was enormous power beneath his less-than-threatening exterior. Lotor made note of that, along with a reminder to himself not to make him angry. “We couldn’t call ourselves his friends if we weren’t willing to do the same.”

“Well that’s certainly altruistic of you.” He admitted. “But that’s not what I meant. You know what that place did to my parents...” he was surprised at the look on their faces at their mention. Was it sadness? Empathy at his loss? Surely that weren’t so foolish to actually care as to the fate of their enemies?

“And they were in there for mere moments.” He continued. “Your boy has been in there for days. Are you certain you want him back?”

The trio exchanged a worried glance. It was obvious that they hadn’t considered the possibility of something happening to their friend in the space beyond theirs.

“Whatever that place may have done to him, we’ll deal with it.”

Lotor raised his eyes to the stern, confident face of the Black Paladin. The man certainly had a commanding presence. He could see why his mother favoured him so.

“ _AFTER_ we get him back.” He said, locking his eyes with his formerly royal guest.

“Suit up.” He said to the others without breaking eye contact. “Allura claims she has the means to open the portal. She may need backup if she manages to pull it off.”

“How exactly does Allura figure she can open that damn thing when we couldn’t come up with something? Even with the input of the royal pain back there?” Pidge asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Magic.” Shiro said, though he didn’t sound totally convinced.

She stopped for a moment before slapping herself on the forehead. “Why didn’t we think of that?” The others paused as they turned to look at her. “The only time anyone’s crossed over through the rift there’s been an Altean present. Alfor...Honerva...Allura. We all assumed it was quintessence that opened it, but it must be Alchemy.”

“Or maybe it’s some kind of combination.” Matt suggested. “One is needed to trigger the other.”

While the Holts began theorising about the alchemical/quintessence ratio required to create the proper reaction to force open a stable tear in space, Hunk moved up to walk besides Shiro. Ever thoughtful of others, there had been only one thing on his mind since Lotor had brought it up. The other side of the rift had had a devastating effect on Zarkon on Honerva, what had it done to Keith? Was he going to come back as some power-crazed space zombie? But...the other original paladins had been in there too, right? And nothing had happened to them, had it? But...they’d been in their lions and they all knew for a fact that the lions could pass through inter-dimensional gateways without ill effect to the pilots...but Keith had been in a flimsy, already damaged, not designed for inter-dimensional travel Galra fighter so lacked that protection. But...he’d been wearing his paladin armour, that must have offered some kind of shield against the forces of whatever was in there, right? But...they hadn’t been in there nearly as long as Keith had...

“Do you think Lotor was right?” He said quietly. “That it’s done something to him?”

“Maybe.” Shiro answered, just as softly. “But like I said, if it has, we’ll deal with it.” He let out a deep sigh, his face becoming a mask of nothing but sadness.

“Even if it means putting him down.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The race is on to the rift...but what exactly will the paladins find?

Keith was absently aware of the quick tapping of his foot against the floor. He could see Al at the edge of his peripheral vision, standing by the console where his projection originated, hand to his chin, his expression thoughtful. There wasn’t much time to find a way to save his program, to seperate it from Ghost’s systems, Allura was already on her way. Blue wasn’t the fastest lion, but all of the parts of Voltron could move at high speed when pushed. She would be here soon.

The Red Paladin...or was it White now...shifted in his seat, moving his arm in such a way to accidentally bring up his armour’s viewscreen. He stared at its soft blue glow for a moment as its existence slowly sunk in. His armour had its own computer system, mostly star charts for navigation, scanners for planetary reconnaissance missions and injuries and so forth, but it stored a lot of information. Could it be big enough to store an artificial intelligence?

“Al?”

He held up his arm as the hologram turned towards him, eyes widening.

 

~~~~~~

 

Allura brought the blue lion to a stop before the inert portal, staring through the empty ring at the ruins of Daibazaal beyond. Somewhere within that circle a beloved teammate was dying and she was his only hope. She just wished she knew how to open the damn thing!

“Let your instinct guide you.” She told herself. Closing her eyes she sat back in her seat, focusing on the power within her. She sighed, wishing there was someone, someone besides Haggar or her druids, that could teach her how to use her alchemy.

Still, she had done amazing things with it before, she could do it again.

 

~~~~~~

 

“Keith talked to Allura?” Pidge asked incredulously. “Did I miss the memo telling us that he’d developed that ability?”

“Lance said she was pretty convinced he had.” Shiro said. “But it’s more likely some kind of wishful thinking on her part.”

He frowned, thinking back to when the Blue Paladin had come running up to him to tell him what the princess was up to. He had ordered Lance to follow her immediately while he gathered the remaining paladins. If by chance she did manage to open the portal there was no telling what could escape it. They could very well need Voltron to deal with it.

“Regardless, we’re not going to leave her out there alone. Hopefully Lance managed to catch up with her before she got herself in any sort of danger.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Lance slowed Red as they neared the portal. He had a visual on Blue, drifting slightly about a click away from the dormant device, but Allura wasn’t answering his hails.

“Allura?” He called again, frowning when she still didn’t respond. He switched to long range communications. “I’m here, Shiro, but Allura’s...”

He trailed off when he noticed a bright, pinpoint of light. A warm, familiar light that began to grow steadily brighter.

“Shit!” He exclaimed.

“Lance.” Shiro responded with obvious concern. “What...?”

“Allura’s outside her lion!”

He slammed the controls forward, speeding towards the tiny speck of a princess as the portal drew in the glow emanating from her.

“ _ALLURA_!” He screamed, covering his eyes instinctively as a blinding light exploded from the portal to shoot past him. The force of its passage spun Red around.

“Lance!?” Shiro’s voice came through, demanding answers.

“She did it.” He said. “She opened the damn thing. Something came out...”

“Is it Keith?” Shiro asked.

“Dunno.” He admitted. “It was just a streak of light. But it’s heading your way.” He turned Red back around. “I’m gonna check on Allura.”

“I’m fine, Lance.” Allura’s voice came over the comms, tired, but otherwise normal. “We need to help Keith.”

“You’re saying _THAT_ was Keith?”

“It has to be.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

“Brace yourselves.” Pidge warned, as she followed the blur of a blip on her long-range scanners. “Whatever this thing is it’s coming in fast.”

“You’re sure it’s not just some kind of energy blast?” Hunk frowned looking at his own scanners. “Can anything move that fast?”

“There’s a solid core to it.” Pidge pointed out.

“Yeah.” Hunk nodded his agreement. “And an energy blast probably would have dissipated by now.”

“Guys.” Shiro reminded them of the imminent incoming possible danger as he watched the approaching streak of brightness. It curved away as it approached, giving them a wide enough berth as to cause no harm. There was obviously some kind of sentience controlling it, but it moved far too swiftly for any of them to make out what it was. He swung Black around to follow it.

“It’s heading for the Castle!”

“It’s already here.” Coran’s voice came softly over the comms.

“It stopped?” Hunk asked.

“Yes.” Coran confirmed.

“What is it?” Shiro asked.

“It’s a lion...”

“A lion?” Pidge questioned. “Like a Voltron Lion?”

“Kind of.” It was Matt’s voice this time. “It’s smaller. And sleeker. But it’s definitely a lion.”

Coran was dimly award of the questions coming over the comms...a lion...how can it be a lion...is it dangerous...what colour is it...but he couldn’t pull his attention away from the craft in front of him. Or his eyes from its electric blue gaze.

There was a sixth lion? How had he not known about it? It was certainly Alfor’s handiwork, he’d know it anywhere. But when had he built It? Why had he kept it a secret from him? From Allura? Was it part of Voltron? And if so, what did it do?

“Is Keith in that thing?” Shiro’s voice cut through the chatter and brought the Altean back to the present.

“Oh, yes, right.” He mumbled to himself as he moved to the command console. “Definitely a life form on board.” He confirmed. “Approximate size is right. Synching into the Red Paladin armour.” His hands blurred over the controls. “Biothermal life readings are a match.”

“Keith?” Allura’s voice broke in. “Are you alright? Is he alright?”

“Blood pressure...heart rate...breathing...all a little low, but stable.” Coran informed them all. “He appears to be unconscious.”

“At the speed that thing was travelling that’s hardly surprising.” Shiro commented, hoping that was the only reason for Keith’s current state.

Coran moved to tractor beam control. “I’ll bring them both on board.”

 

~~~~~~

 

The five paladins raced towards the pod hanger, anxious to learn more on the condition of the sixth. They were met by Coran, arms spread wide, barring them entry.

“You can’t just go rushing in there.” He told them. “We have no way of knowing what he’s brought with him from that place. We have to handle the situation carefully.”

He opened the doors to reveal the lion, crouched in a shimmering forcefield not of its own making, looking ready to pounce and tear the throat out of anything foolish enough to come too close.

“A white lion...” Shiro noted. A contrast and compliment to the black...much like Keith and himself.

“It’s amazing...” Hunk breathed, taking in the smooth lines and curves. “So much more advanced...”

“It looks pissed.” Lance commented. “I can see why it picked Keith.”

“What’s with the forcefield?” Pidge asked.

“I have run a decontamination protocol on the lion.” Coran said. “But I feel a period of quarantine...”

“Quarantine?” Allura protested. “He needs medical attention! When I spoke to him...”

“I’m okay, Allura.” Keith’s voice came over the comms, weary but reassuring. “I’m feeling much better since getting out of that place.”

“You’re not a space zombie?” Hunk asked.

“No, Hunk.” He chuckled. “I’m still very much alive.”

“The...whatever it was that got Zarkon and Haggar...” Pidge began. “It didn’t get you then?”

“It tried to.” He admitted. “But it couldn’t get through Ghost’s shield.”

“Ghost?” Lance queried. The lion rumbled in response. “You named the lion?”

“I would have gone with Kimba.” Hunk muttered.

“Too obvious.” Pidge shook her head.

“She has a name, but I didn’t give it to her.”

“Being in there...it didn’t effect you at all?” Shiro asked.

“I didn’t say that.” Keith sighed. “The place is like...I don’t know...pure quintessence? I think I might have absorbed some of it. Maybe a lot of it.”

“What has it done to you?” Allura asked softly. “Are you still...you?”

“More or less.”

“So you don’t have two heads or anything?” Lance asked.

“Nothing that drastic.”

“Did it turn you purple?” Hunk asked.

“No.” There was a slightly annoyed tone to his voice. “It...” he sighed. “It would probably be easiest if I just showed you.”

The lion moved slightly, sluggishly, just enough to lower her jaw and allow her new pilot to disembark. Keith stopped, his head lowered, at the bottom of the ramp, took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he steeled himself. Reaching up, he slowly pulled off his helmet and shook out his hair. The length was the same, the style was the same, but the colour...

It was a dazzling, pure white. Paler than Lotor’s, paler than Allura’s. It bordered on blinding.

“Dude!” Lance exclaimed. “Does time pass more quickly in there? You got grandpa hair!”

Keith threw him a dirty look, one mirrored on the equally snowy-haired Allura.

“Excuse me?” She levelled Lance with a stern gaze.

“Looks good.” He grinned sheepishly, giving an awkward thumbs up. “I mean...you’re the White Paladin now, right? So it totally works.”

“Is that it?” Shiro asked.

Keith looked away, avoiding eye contact, sucking on his bottom lip.

“That’s not it.” The Black Paladin surmised.

The skin was the same, not a hint of purple, or blue, or any other colour that screamed ‘not from Earth’. The ears were the same. There were no extra appendages, no increase in body mass. The eyes were the same deep blue-grey. So that could only mean...

“The teeth?”

It would certainly explain the lip sucking.

With a sigh, Keith let his lower jaw drop slightly to reveal four sharpened canines, not overly long, just slightly fang-like, but still inhuman.

“Well...” Shiro smiled reassuringly. “That’s not so bad...”

“Yeah.” Lance chimed in. “A little Grecian 2000’ll fix the hair. And the teeth...I dunno...you could file them or something?”

“No way!” Pidge interjected. “The teeth are cool.”

“And I quite like the hair.” Allura added with a soft smile.

“I’m just glad you’re not a space zombie.” Hunk said.


End file.
